Don't look down [Sunday Times, 30 Sept 2012]

If beach holidays leave you more chilled than thrilled, Susan d-Arcy has found some truly terrifying alternatives.. 
Fortunately, you have more than just your fear for company as you float over the spectacular Pokhara Valley, Nepal - an instructor rides tandem as you paraglide on nodding terms with three of the world's highest mountains, with snowcapped peaks that soar to 26,000ft. And after that, you deserve to take on Everest - at least three pints of it, Everest being the local beer. Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100, ampersandtravel.com) has 10 nights from £2,100pp, B&B, including flights from London and paragliding. 

House Party: Grown-up Cribs [Tatler, Sept 2012]

20 Middle Street – Galle – Sri Lanka

The best address in the loveliest town on the island – a handsome mid-18th-century villa, renovated by architect Channa Daswatte (the late Geoffrey Bawa’s right-hand man) with terrazzo floors, sweeping staircases, four-poster grand bedrooms, views over the ramparts and a tropical walled garden perfumed with frangipani. There’s no pool, but you’ll be far too busy to care. You’re minutes from some awesome beaches (Wijaya is most fun) and seconds from the ultra-spoiling Aman spa next door. Then there’s the Galle Fort hotel around the corner for a mean red-mullet curry. And punchy Arak Sour sundowners at the Sun House up the hill. See, no time for swimming… Sleeps six. Ampersand Travel offers seven nights at 20 Middle Street from £4,700 (ampersandtravel.com or 020 7289 6100).

Tropical Treasures in the South China Sea [Conde Nast Traveller, 3 Sept 2012]

Until recently, the islands of the South China Sea have had few visitors, but five new hideaways - in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines - are putting this corner of the globe on the map....

Batu Batu, Malaysia 
On the island of Pulau Tengah off the east coast of Malaysia, Batu Batu is a barefooty boutique resort with 22 villas surrounded by seven beaches. Architecture is traditional Malay but mod cons are fully Western. Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100; www.ampersandtravel.com) offers seven nights from £1,798 per person, including return flights and transfers ... Read article here...

Land of Many Colours [The Independent, 26 September 2012]

There's nowhere quite like Rajasthan, says Harriet O'Brien, and now is the perfect time to visit its cities of pink, white and blue, festivals, deserts, palaces and luxury trains... 

Move west to one of Rajasthan’s mightiest sights. Dubbed the “blue city” because of the colour of its houses, Jodhpur is set at the edge of the Thar Desert and is dominated by Mehrangarh Fort, a majestic edifice that appears to have evolved from the sandstone crags on which it was built in the 1500s. Jodhpur is a highlight of the Boutique Rajasthan package offered by Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100; amperandtravel.com). The 10-night trip costs from £2,360 per person including flights from Heathrow.

Burma Beckons [Conde Nast Traveller, June 2012]

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Welcome to an enchanting land of golden pagodas, velvet shoes and lotus flowers. After decades of darkness and fear, the horizon is full of hope as visitors are being encouraged to explore the treasures of this unique Asian country once more, says Harriet O'Brien. ... Read more here

The writer and photographer's visit was arranged by Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100, www.ampersandtravel.com), which started offering tailor-made trips to Burma only after the NLD request that tourists stay away was lifted in 2010. An 11-day trip, taking in Rangoon, Kalaw, Mandalay, Inle Lake and Bagan, costs from £2,450 per person, including international flights, accommodation on a bed-and-breakfast basis, all internal flights and private car transport, a private guide and entrance fees.

Summer of Loveliness - Ladakh is Back! [Tatler, July 2012]

Ladakh is back, says Michelle Jana Chan and Melinda Stevens..
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Mouldy mattresses, bad plumbing and a musty whiff in the air? Sounds like a homestay except when it comes to beloved Shakti Himalaya, queen of fine feasts, flushing loos and the best beds around ...Read more here

BOOK IT Ampersand Travel (ampersandtravel.com or 020 7289 6100) offers 11 days in Ladakh north India from £2,195 a person, including flights, guide, breakfast and transfers.

A Fine Balance [Conde Nast Traveller, April 2012]

On a gourmet tour from Colombo to Galle, Nicholas Lander discovers a cuisine of distinctive local flavours in perfect harmony...

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Egg hoppers; string hoppers; gotu kola and jaggery; rice and curry, often incorporating fruit or cashew nuts, washed down with Lion beer served in an imperial pint bottle: these, along with buffalo curd and treacle honey, sambals and the freshest tuna I have ever tasted, were among the highlights as we ate our way down the west coast of Sri Lanka from Colombo to Galle.... Read more here

The sleeper Indian Ocean stunner [The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, Feb 2012]

Cheap & cheerful: Sri Lanka...

Sri Lanka is sizzling right now - visitors are finally cottoning on to the fact that this is the Maldives with knobs on - not just pure shores, but a fascinating culture and a buzzy beach scene to boot. And here's the secret: it's a fraction of the price. Explore tea plantations in Kandy, chaotically-colourful markets in Colombo, Asia's best-preserved Colonial sea fort at Galle, and sacred temples everywhere you look. And stay on the untouristy west coast, where you can spot dolphins and whales from the beaches. Bar Reef resort, near Kalpitiya, is the cream of the captivating new properties, with seven boho-style cabanas set in private gardens, two thatched villas and a 40m pool that twinkles with fibre-optic lights at night: a week in Sri Lanka costs £1,115pp, B&B, including flights from Heathrow, through Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100, www.ampersandtravel.com).

Deep Calm [Harper's Bazaar, Jan 2012]

Idyllic hideaways and state-of-the-art retreats: the top spots for decadence and relaxation...

Best for Modern India: Leela Palace, Udaipur

Designed to replicate royal residences of centuries past, Leela Palace combines Rajput artistry with five-star service. Access is by private boat across Lake Pichola; on approach, a traditional band strikes up. The several restaurants include a beautiful outdoor platform with splendid views of the lake, and food both traditional and modern. In the spa, treatments are combined with Indian rituals; and yoga takes place at dawn and dusk. The area is studded with religious and cultural sites, but many visitors choose simply to soak up the peace and colour of Udaipur, spending happy hours rummaging in the wonderful textile and artefact shops of the town.
Three nights, from £1,490 per person, B&B at the Leela Palace, including flights and transfers, with Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100; www.ampersandtravel.com)

Maldives "Best for..." [Conde Nast Traveller, Nov 2011]

Best for... Romantic escapes: Cocoa Island, South Malï, Atoll, Maldives...

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The accommodation at this small and very tranquil resort is in 33 chic over-water villas, each with a generous private deck. So you gaze out at views of turquoise sea and fishing boats and when you feel more energetic you simply step down into the water; a coral reef teeming with marine life is a very short swim away. Of course, diving and watersports are available, but staff say most guests prefer to disappear into a world of their own. When they emerge, the tiny island offers an extensive Shambala spa and hydrotherapy pool at one end, while at the other there's an infinity-edged pool, bar, and restaurant serving Maldivian, Mediterranean and Asian cuisine. Sitting out on the soft white sands on this side of the island and watching the sun set soon becomes an addictive evening ritual. Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100; www.ampersandtravel.com) offers seven nights at Cocoa Island, Maldives from £2,625 per person including flights and transfers.

Best for... Underwater Treasures: Anantara Dhigu, South Malï Atoll, Maldives...

You'll be conveniently close to Malï and the airport here but the quality of the coral around the large lagoon is excellent and the waters are rich in fusiliers, turtles, spotted eagle rays and more. Thai-owned Anantara operates two properties on facing island more or less as one resort. Together, Anantara Veli and larger, more luxurious Dhigu have 160 villas and seven restaurants, as well as one of the most go-ahead dive centres in the Maldives. Aquafanatics runs a wide range of courses, from beginners to deep-water diving and visits around 25 sites nearby as well as others further afield. Ampersand Travel (020 7 289 6100; www.ampersandtravel.com) offers seven nights at the Anantara Dhiju from £2,175 per person including flights and transfers.

Sri Lanka: Bring Me Sunshine [Marie Claire, Nov 2011]

Pristine beaches, lush tea plantations and a vibrant literary festival - Sri Lanka is the new winter hot spot, says Nigel Tisdall...




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I fell in love with Sri Lanka the minute I heard it had a Minister for Coconuts. It's a serious job and whenever there's a shortage, the entire island gets worked up, just as we get vexed over the price of petrol. Sri Lankans do a 1001 wonderful things with this glossy palm, from making delicious curries to carving ornate beds from its wood - and concocting reviving welcome drinks from sun-starved travellers who've just made the long haul to the exotic 'Isle of Serendib'.... Read more here...

In November, a 12-night tour of Sri Lanka including Devenigoda, Galle, Mirissa, Bogawantalawa and Colombo costs from £1,960 per person with Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100; www.ampersandtravel.com) including flights with Emitates, car and driver, accommodation with breakfast and entrance to sites and museums.

Sri Lanka: Temples and tea leaves [The Telegraph, 2 Oct 2011 ]

Nigel Tisdall is charmed by Sri Lanka's landscape and religious shrines. But what really gets him going is a nice cuppa...

"Some of these bushes are over 130 years old," Andrew Taylor explains as he escorts my wife and me through the emerald hills of Bogawantalawa, otherwise known as Sri Lanka's "Golden Valley of Tea". Set 4,000 feet up in the hill country near Hatton, the enveloping landscape presents a fairy-tale scene of misty lakes, tranquil woods and vividly coloured tropical gardens. Every available slope is striped with long, winding rows of tea plants, while at carefully chosen spots former bungalows built in the Twenties for estate managers drink in the views. Now converted into well-appointed lodges, these elegant retreats offer visitors the chance to overnight in a nostalgic world of scones, croquet and hot-water bottles slipped between the sheets. Every day starts with a cup of "bed tea" brought to your room, and later you can tour a tea factory, follow well-signed walks through the plantations, soak in a detoxifying green tea bath - then dine on roast lamb with a crusting of Earl Grey... Read more here...

With Ampersand Travel a tailor-made 12-night trip of Sri Lanka in November visiting Polonnaruwa, Bogawantalawa and Galle costs from £2,100 per person, including return flight with Emirates, private car and driver, b & b and entrance to sites and museums.

A Honeymoon for all Seasons [You and Your Wedding, Sept 2011 ]

The experience: Uma Paro, Bhutan...
What better way to start married life than a blessing in a monastery in the misty mountaintops of the Himalayas at Uma Paro? Set among the pine-tree-peppered countryside of Bhutan, it's the perfect spot to satisfy your spiritual side. Start your day by sampling the traditional buckwheat pancakes and rosewater lassi at breakfast from their delicious organic kitchen, before taking a trek up to the local village (expect vivid blue skies in autumn which are perfect for outdoor activity) or enjoying a yoga class for the ultimate post-wedding mental cleanse. Don't miss the most famous monastery in the country, Tiger's Nest it's the perfect place to meditate upon your marriage. Remote and rugged has never been so brilliantly romantic.
Four nights at Uma Paro and two nights in Delhi, including flights and all guides and activities, from £3395pp on a B&B basis with Ampersand Travel.

Bali Bliss [BA Highlife, Aug2011 ]

For some, it's a spectacular stretch of sand. For others, it's life-changing, a place to find yourself. William Cook goes in search of the real Bali, hidden behind the tourist attractions.... Read more here...

EAST ALILA MANGGIS Handy for Candidasa and the regional capital Amlapura, this peaceful hotel is a pleasant blend of modern design and traditional Balinese style. It's right beside the beach so you wake up to the sight of fishermen hauling in their nets. Doubles from £92.Alila Manggis. Ampersand Travel (ampersandtravel.com) offers an eight-night trip to Bali with two nights in each of these hotels (above) from £1,994pp, including BA flights and transfers.

Lazy Days in Sri Lanka [House & Garden, July 2011]

Pamela Goodman is seduced by the gentle charms of Sri Lanka....

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Pamela Goodman travelled as a guest of Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100, www.ampersandtravel.com), which specialises in bespoke trips to Sri Lanka. This 10-night Lazy Days in Sri Lanka itinerary costs from £2,285 per person, based on two sharing, including international flights, and a car throughout the trip.

Catch it now - Sri Lanka [Financial Times - How to Spend it, 21 May 2011]

Peace in Sri Lanka has brought a new era for the traveller, with the opening of enchanting boutique hotels, the revamping of older establishments and new air collections easing access to its iconic sites....

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Lucia Van der Post was a guest of Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100, www.ampersandtravel.com), which offers a 10-day tour of Sri Lanka from £1940 including international flights, B&B accommodation and a private guide/driver.

Asia�s Greatest Island Getaways: Misool Island, Indonesia [Sunday Times, 6 Mar 2011]

This is Alex Garland's The Beach, but with a happy ending. A group of like-minded divers, conservationalists and adventurers stumbled across a smattering of remote, uninhabited islands in the southern part of Raja Ampat and decided that building an eco-resort would provide the perfect excuse for them to stay forever. The result is this boutique retreat with just eight overwater cottages, constructed from timber scavenged from free-fallen trees in the surrounding forests or salvaged from driftwood on its empty bays. Once collected, they were cut using the resort's own portable sawmill, then transformed by a team of artisan craftsmen into rustic-chic havens where even the door handles were a labour of love.
There's a chilled-out restaurant concentrating on local organic dishes, a fancy dive centre, and not much else other than the hope that the resort's example will entice the local population away from logging, overfishing and shark-finning, and into the sort of tourism that will protect this treasured corner of the world in the long term.
Details: Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100; ampersandtravel.com) has a nine-night trip, with seven nights full-board at Misool Eco Resort, from £2,594pp.

Sri Lanka: exotic, hot and cool . Villa Bentota, Bentota, Sri Lanka [The Times, 13 Nov 2010]

Villa Bentota is a boutique hotel with a rich, shadowy look with deep red and black furniture and low-level lighting. The hotel's 15 rooms are all designed by Shanth Fernando, a well-known local 'lifestyle guru'. There's a chic restaurant with black lacquered tables serving Asian food. The bar has black leather loungers and bronze tables. Details: Ampersand Travel offers seven nights at Villa Bentota in a B&B double with flights and transfers from £1,480pp.

The Hotlist. Best for soulful Luxury: Alila, Laos
[Harper's Bazaar, Nov 2010]

In sleepy, magical Luang Prabang, the former royal capital of Laos, Alila, the exclusive Asia-based hotel group, is opening its newest property this month; a collection of 23 suites with private gardens, pools and pavilions, in colonial-era residences. The aesthetic is upscale but minimalist, and the environment calming, allowing you to while away hours in the poolside cabanas or the elegant spa.
A six-night itinerary, including four nights at Alila Luang Prabang and two nights in Vientiane, costs from £1,495 a person, including flights and transfers, with Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100; www.ampersandtravel.com).

See the world in first-class style: Laze in Laos
[InStyle, Nov 2010]

Laos' newest boutique hotel, the Alila Luang Prabang (suites from about £160; ampersandtravel.com; 020 7289 6100), opens soon in the Unesco World Heritage town of Luang Prabang. The 23 all-suite hotel and spa has kept the site's architectural heritage, combining the existing early 20th-century colonial buildings with chic new structures. Laze the day away by one of the pools, join Laotian cooking demos or relax in Spa Alila. Nearby attractions include Kuang Si Falls and the Pak Ou Caves the hotel's concierge is on hand to organise everything.

Passage to India: Rajasthan [Natwest Magazine, Oct 2010]

Award winning travel writer Nigel Tisdall selects trips to stimulate your mind, body and soul...
With its splendid hilltop forts, bejeweled palaces, austere deserts and dazzling colours, the north western state of Rajasthan is India at full intensity. October to March is the ideal time to visit, when the weather is cooler and there are many festivals, but this is peak season, so book early. Variously pink, blue and golden, its cities offer irresistible shopping and fabulous places to stay, such as the lavishly decorated Samode Haveli in Jaipur and Amet Haveli in Udaipur, a regal heritage hotel overlooking Lake Pichola. For a memorable desert encounter, check into Mihir Garh, a romantic nine-suite luxury fort south of Jodhpur where you can go horse riding, enjoy spa treatments using the sacred Indian herb tulsi (holy basil), have a yoga lesson on the roof terrace and admire a night sky peppered with stars. Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100, ampersandtravel.com) offers packages to Rajasthan.

Kolkata [Travel Weekly, Oct 2010]

Kolkata's colonial history makes it India's cultural capital, and the jumping off point for a range of itineraries. Jessica Andrews of Ampersand Travel: Kolkata is a tea trading centre, and we arrange for clients to meet a tea-taster in action. The best Bengali food is street food, so clients should go with a guide and try delicacies for the road-side stalls; they taste delicious and any stall with a long queue of locals will be safe to eat from.

Ask Gill: Vietnam [The Telegraph, 20 Aug 2010]

John Davison of Farnborough, Kent, writes: In April next year my wife and I are celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary. We would like to visit Vietnam and Cambodia, but do not know how to go about organising such a trip. I feel that we need the advice of a specialist tour operator. Could you recommend one?
Gill Charlton replies: Mark Wright of Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100; www.ampersandtravel.com) knows the region well and can build a bespoke itinerary that suits your interests and preferred speed of travel. You should certainly include time in Hoi An, a small port town that gives a good flavour of old Vietnam, take a cruise around Halong Bay and visit the former royal capital of Hue. Mark says that the Vinh Moc tunnel complex near Hue, which is three storeys deep, is unmissable, and you can explore it on your own. To give you an idea of cost, Ampersand's 14-night Classic Vietnam and Angkor tour costs from £2,595 per person including flights.

Move Over, Maharajahs [Time Magazine, Sept 2007]

"My whole ethos is that luxury travel is about having experiences," says James Jayasundera, founder of Ampersand Travel in London. "Travelling by train for short distances has always been a good way for foreigners to engage locals," he says. "Now there are a lot of small hotels run by absolutely fascinating people where guests mingle, sometimes eat together. These are also the best places for meeting upwardly mobile Indians who are starting to travel around India instead of going to Switzerland."

Passage Through India [Vanity Fair, April 2007]

Clemmie Hambro writes: "Don't even think of being a clever clogs and booking a trip to India on the internet: it's always best to use a travel specialist. Travel specialists of note are Ampersand Travel.

The Best Indian Villas [Harper's Bazaar, March 2007]

Hannah Roberts writes about Privacy at Sanctuary Bay arranged by Ampersand Travel 'the whitewashed, thatched one-bedroom suite and the traditional wooden bungalow are fully staffed, leaving you with nothing more to do than sit on the verandah overlooking Lake Vembanad and remind yourself how total tranquillity feels'.

Smooth Operators: the neatest tailor-made specialists [Ultratravel - Daily Telegraph, April 2006]

A lifelong passion for travel in the best possible style is how Sri Lankan James Grace-Jayasundera conveys the idea behind Ampersand - set up by this former banker in 2003 and making use of his myriad contacts in Sri Lanka and India. Since then, demand for his custom-designed trips to the subcontinent has boomed.

So where’s hot this winter? [Sunday Times, 14 Oct 2012]

We've trawled through the weather stats, calculated the flight times and pestered the operators for their best deals. Now all you have to do is pick your perfect spot for soaking up the sun. By Chris Haslam.
 
BALI, INDONESIA - Less than 15 miles up the coast from Kuta, between the rice terraces and a sparkly black-sand beach, is the Alila Villas Soori. If you're looking for romance, this is the place. It combines Balinese serenity, hugely distracting views across the straits of Java, techy mod cons and some of the best service you'll ever experience. A week starts at £2,725pp with Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100, ampersandtravel.com). 

Another Day in Paradise [Marie Claire, September 2012]

Sailing through the azure waters of Indonesia, Nigel Tisdall discovers a little piece of heaven...
 
Spreading across the Pacific from the Philippines to Bali and the Solomon Islands, the Coral Triangle is the richest marine environment in the world. Its vast oceans are so alive with vivid corals and extraordinary fish that scientists have dubbed it a 'species factory'.
Its centrepoint is a remote corner of Indonesia known as Raja Ampat, and although such places sound far-flung, the world is now so connected we can shoot off even here for a dreamy holiday with ridiculous ease. And let's face it, leaving 'Sorry, I'm in the Spice Islands' on voicemail brings a delicious sense that, for a brief moment, one might actually be getting life's priorities right. ... Read more here...

The Bucket List: Whale watching in Sri Lanka [TTG Luxury, Autumn 2012]

We round up a few "bucket list" ideas that really are once-in-a-lifetime experiences..
SEE WHALES IN THE WILD:
Sri Lanka is fast becoming known as one of the top locations in the world for spotting blue whales and sperm whales - and, according to Ampersand, it's the best place on the planet for seeing them together. Trincomalee, on the east coast, is still relatively unknown and home to the fifth largest natural harbour. It is becoming a hotspot for whale and dolphin watching - while there, suggest whalewatchers stay at Chaaya Blu, a stylish little beach hotel (ampersandtravel.com). 

The Land that Tourism Forgot: Burma [Sainsbury's Magazine, Aug 2012]

After Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest in Burma, she gave the go-ahead to begin lifting the boycott on tourism. So now is a great time to go, but make sure you travel with a responsible operator. Try Ampersand (020 7289 6100), with trips from £2,095. Treat yourself to a balloon ride over the ancient city of Bagan, home to more than 2,000 temples, pagodas and monasteries. 

Myanmar Rising [FT How To Spend It, 19 May 2012]

These are exciting times in Myanmar, the country previously known as Burma. There’s a new(ish) president, Thein Sein, who seems sincere in wanting political reform. The Lady (as Aung San Suu Kyi is affectionately called) is no longer under house arrest and her National League for Democracy party now has 43 seats in parliament – not enough, but a beginning. And for those wanting to explore this beguiling, little-known country, The Lady herself has dropped her objections and welcomed us in  ... Read more here

Lucia van der Post travelled as a guest of Ampersand Travel (www.ampersandtravel.com, 020 7289 6100), which offers 12 nights in Myanmar on a bed and breakfast basis, including international and domestic flights, all road transfers, private driver and guide throughout, from £2,925 per person (based on two people travelling).

The Kingdom at the Top of the World: Bhutan [Sunday Times Travel Magazine, May 2012]

Archery is Bhutan's national sporty - and the remote country has finally managed to send a team of one to the Olympics. AA Gill gets a bull's-eye view... 
If you're flying to Bhutan, sit on the left. You overtake eight of the ten highest mountains in the world on the left-hand side, and that on its own is worth the steep price of the ticket. Everest shines against the pale breath of the sky, oddly familiar among all the other cool fangs, like spotting a celebrity in a queue. The stratospheric wind blows a plume of snow off its peak, making an Elvis quaff. Bhutan's international runway is said to be one of the most testing in the world ... Read more here

AA Gill travelled to Bhutan, via Delhi, with Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100, ampersandtravel.com). Prices for seven nights, staying at Como Hotel's Uma Paro, Amankora Thimpu and ITC Maurya, in Delhi, and including flights, visa, transfers and archery lessons in Bhutan, start from £3,320 per person.

Lakshadweep: All quiet on India's secret islands [The Independent, 1 Feb 2012]

Arriving at a tropical island can never be considered a hardship. But after a 16-hour ferry journey blighted by seasickness, pulling ashore at Kadmat seemed all the sweeter. In fact, as I sat in the shade of a palm gazebo - a calm, bright blue sea just metres away - I'd never in my life been so pleased to be handed a coconut with a straw in it. Kadmat is the centremost island in the Lakshadweep archipelago, a low-lying chain of islands, atolls and reefs off the coast of Kerala. Belonging to India, the Lakshadweep islands are part of the same vast marine mountain range as the Maldives. But unlike on their southerly neighbours, which are being developed almost to saturation point, the natural side of Lakshadweep remains intact... Read more here...

Ampersand (020-7289 6100; ampersandtravel.com) offers a seven-night stay at Kadmat Island Beach Resort from £1,960 per person. This includes international flights from Heathrow, return domestic flights from Cochin to Agatti, return boat transfer from Agatti to Kadmat and full-board accommodation in a standard AC hut.

Getting the flavour of Rangoon's colonial treasures [The Week, Jan 2012]

Rangoon has an "unparalleled collection" of British colonial-era buildings - but you may need to act fast to see them, says Thant Myint-U in the FT. Burma's decades-long isolation under military rule is easing, bringing economic growth - and the temptation to raze old blocks to make way for shopping malls. For now, though, many streets in the old city are like "vast film sets",  undisturbed by modern construction. Among the highlights are the "lovingly restored" Strand Hotel, where Noel Coward stayed; the derelict Pegu Club, where Kipling heard the tales that inspired his poem Mandalay; and the old Secretariat, "one of the most beautiful building complexes in all Asia", with its "red-brick and yellow-trimmed exterior" and "elegant Venetian domes". Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100, www.ampersandtravel.com) has an 11-night Burma itinerary from £2,485pp, incl. flights.

Home Cooking, Bali [Gourmet Traveller 2012, House & Garden]

Bali gardener Pak Sugita, who works at Alila Manggis in Bali welcomes guests into his home to learn the secrets of Balinese kampung (village) cooking, including how to make Jaja Bali (Balinese sweets). Ampersand Travel offers seven nights B&B at Alila Manggis with flights and transfers from £1,160pp (020 7289 6100; www.ampersandtravel.com)

Holidays in the winter sun [The Week, 24 Dec 2011]

The real Bali by bike...

Touring Bali's "lush" countryside by bicycle is an exhilarating delight, says Nell Card in The Guardian. This largely Hindu island has been a tourist magnet since the 1930s, but you needn't travel far from the nightlife of Kuta to find the cultural and natural glories that first brought it fame. In the southwest, "ancient irrigation systems" lace the rice fields, "black, bird-shaped kites" soar high above the crops, and the coast is punctuated by spectacular clifftop temples. Far to the north lies Mount Batur, an active volcano 1,717m high, with villages around its crater; it's a thrill to "freewheel" down its flanks, though "passion-fruit groves" and past men grooming fighting cockerels. Finally, don't miss the mountainous east and the remote village of Tenganan, where Aga people weave "double ikat" cloth, famed for its intricacy. Ampersand (020 7289 6100, www.ampersandtravel.com) has a ten-night tour of Bali, Indonesia from £2,495pp, incl. flights & guides.

Race you to the beach [The Sunday Times, 6 Dec 2011]

Head away for the weekend and pick up a new skill...

Be a Thai boxer in Bangkok!
What do the Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli and the Duchess of Northumberland have in common? They're both fans of muay thai boxing, which is becoming an increasingly trendy way to work out. Learn the secrets of this exhilarating martial art in its home capital with Ampersand Travel (020 7 289 6100, www.ampersandtravel.com), which has three nights at the Metropolitan, Bangkok, Thailand from £780pp, B&B, including a three-hour lesson and flights from London. 

Specialist hails Sri Lanka recovery [TTG Luxury, 30 Nov 2011]

Sri Lanka is set to be a leading destination in 2012, according to specialist operator Ampersand Travel...

Two and half years on from the end of conflict in Sri Lanka, Ampersand Travel's founder James Jayasundera has said the country is undergoing a renaissance with a new-found focus on its safari possibilities, infrastructure and a wave of new hotels. The country has just welcomed its 750,000th visitor this year and Jayasundera said: "Although Sri Lanka was unable to develop during the years of civil war, this has meant that now the country can learn from other tourist destinations and avoid their pitfalls. The image of Sri Lanka is being raised by beautiful private boutique hotels with high levels of service." Jayasundera is half Sri Lankan himself and has visited the country every year of his life, highlighting the country's safari potential with its own 'big five' to spot on safaris, including the leopard, Asian elephant, sloth bear, water buffalo and blue whale. Recent hotel openings in Sri Lanka include Ulagalla Resort in Thirappane, Chaaya Blu in Trincomalee, Maya Villa in Tangalle and Cocoon Resort in Wadduwa. In the pipeline for 2012 are properties from hotel groups including Uga Resorts, Shangri-La and Six Senses. Jayasundera said new trends on the island included luxury surfing breaks around Amanwella in Tangalle and Hikkaduwa, both on the south coast, while eco lodges, mud huts and treehouses have also come to the fore, such as Ulagalla Resort in Thirappane. To match the move, Ampersand has introduced a new 'If Tarzan went to Sri Lanka' itinerary... Read more here...

Private islands aren't just for Russian oligarchs. This one's mine: Philipkutty's Farm, India [The Sunday Times, 19 Nov 2011]

Live the dream next summer by hiring your own private island (don't worry, it won't break the bank). Susan d'Arcy picks exclusive hideaways you can have (almost) to yourself. Who needs neighbours?

Philipkutty's Farm, India
The lush backwaters of Kerala are slow-paced at the best of times, but here they come to a delightful and definitive full stop. The island was reclaimed from Vembanad Lake in the 1950s by the grandfather of the current owner, Anu Mathew. Life has changed little since: you arrive by poled boat, and the family farm still grows coconuts, nutmeg, bananas, cocoa and peppers. The Philipkutty style is more homestay than hotel, with Mathew personally welcoming guests to the five waterfront cottages, and her mother cooking roasted duck, local prawns and red-hot fish curry, eaten around a table with the family. The cottages, filled with heirlooms, have no air conditioning, but with 18 windows and eight doors in each, who needs it? A word of warning: the farm-brewed toddy, made from coconut sap, will make your brain forget what your feet are for.

Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100) has a week at Philpkutty's Farm from £1,690pp full-board, including flights and transfers.

Travel Clinic: Q&A [The Sunday Times, 6 Nov 2011]

Q: I'm planning to visit India with my boyfriend; a week touring the Golden Triangle, then a week on a beach somewhere in the south. Ideally, we would like to avoid western-style beach resorts. Do you have any suggestions?

A: After the heady pleasures of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, it makes sense to spend a second week relaxing by the Indian Ocean. How about A Beach Symphony, in Mararidulam, Kerala (abeachsymphony.com)? It's a splendid romantic hideaway - just four cottages in a beachside coconut grove, a 90-minute drive from Cochin airport. Each cottage is individually decorated, with lots of wood and strong colours. There's a lovely little pool, the beach is great and the activities are low-key: watching the fishermen, taking a cycle or tuk-tuk tour of the local sights, or enjoying a boat ride on the backwaters. If that's a bit on the small side for you, Mararikulam also has the 62-room Marari Beach Resort. It's not as romantic, but it's a top spot, run on eco-friendly principles. Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100; www.ampersandtravel.com)

Kerala - Afloat in the Backwaters [The Daily Telegraph - Ultratravel, Spring 2011]

Johnny Morris enjoys the quiet life on India's southern coast, relishing vibrant spices, seafood and saris as he sails...

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Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100, www.ampersandtravel.com) offers a 17-day Kerala Adventure itinerary in South India from £2,983. The price includes return flights, B&B, transfers and private guides. Bespoke tours taking in Kovalam and the Hay Festival can be arranged on request.

To Infinity Pools and Beyond [Financial Times - How to Spend it, Jan 2011]

There's an exuberant new presence in the uber-luxe resort world. Lucia van der Post experiences a brand emphasising the local, thoughtful and sustainable - and giving Aman a run for its money...

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Lucia van der Post was a guest of Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100, www.ampersandtravel.com), which offers seven nights at Alila Villas Uluwatu from £2,990 including flights from London Heathrow with Singapore Airlines, private transfers and B&B accommodation; or six nights in Laos with four night at Alila Luang Prabang, from £1,495pp including flights and transfers..

Luxury hotspots with low-key prices: Sri Lanka [Sunday Times Travel Magazine, Jan 2011]

What’s it all about? It’s a pocket paradise. Palm-fringed beaches, elephant-back safaris, tea plantations, sacred sites, lush countryside and walled cities can all easily be ticked off in a week.
How should I see it? Beachfront villas offer great value – like mini five-star hotels – and come with chef-housekeepers-cum-concierges. Base yourself in Galle, a romantic sea fort, and browse its exotic markets, watch stilt fishermen and ‘toddy-tappers’, who climb trees to collect sap to make the lethal local liquor. Laze on one of the endless stretches of beach or head off to the tea plantations. Spend time in Yala National Park, which has the highest concentration of wild leopards in the world, spread across dense jungle, open savannah and crocodile-infested marshes.
Get me there: Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100; www.ampersandtravel.com) has a week in Galle from £1,295pp, with flights and private transfers.

Best for outstanding service: The Oberoi, Mumbai [Harper's Bazaar Travel Guide, 2011]

The landmark Oberoi, a phoenix from the ashes, has reopened following the terrorist attacks of 2008. After its renovation, the funeral black wood and stone have been replaced by gleaming white marble from Thassos in the 230-foot soaring atrium. Not a whisper of embellishment distracts from the clean linearity of the design. The signature scent of jasmine that wafts through the hotel lingers in your memory even after you have handed back you key, as does the scarlet shock of grand piano that adds a splash of drama to this serene canvas of white. There are now fewer, but larger bedrooms, calm and clutter-free, many with incredible ocean views. But really this peerless hotel is about service. Staff retained over the years of renovation respond with commitment and enthusiasm. Your butler is on call 24 hours; the business centre never closes; in-room dining and laundry can be ordered throughout the night; and the Oberoi has the city’s only all-night spa – a huge boon to jet-lagged business travellers.
Five nights, from £1,590 a person B&B, including Air India flights, private transfers and sightseeing, with Ampersand Travel (020 7289 6100; www.ampersandtravel.com).

Burma on the agenda for lux travellers? [TTG Luxury, 19 Aug 2011]

Ampersand Travel, a London-based specialist tour operator to the Indian subcontinent and south-east Asia, has said it is confident of Burma's future as a tourism destination. "We are getting a great deal of interest in Burma and already have quite a few bookings from our clients," said marketing manager Sacha Smith-Laing. Ampersand's founder and managing director James Jayasundera recently visited Burma, tipped to open up to tourism following the release of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi last year. He said: "We felt that the time was right to explore in view of the changing attitudes to tourism in Burma. We visited Yangon, Bagan, Pyin Oo Lwin, Mandalay, Inle Lake and Ngapali Beach and saw 34 hotels and a few hundred temples. I genuinely feel you can now visit the country and support hugely deserving individuals and private companies with minimal support to the military regime." A new Golden Land of Burma itinerary ends at Ngapali Beach and includes temple-hunting inland.... Read more here...

Meet the Maharajas [The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, Oct 2010]

James Grace-Jayasundera, the boss of Ampersand Travel is awfully well-connected, and his 10-day private guided tour of Rajasthan is testament to his ruby-encrusted contacts book. Not only will you visit some of India’s finest palaces – Jai Vilas in Gwalior, the City Palace in Jaipur, Umaid Bhawan in Jodhpur, and the Lake Palace and City Palace in Udaipur – you will also rub shoulders with Indian royalty. Be aware that: April is the cruellest month in Rajasthan. Daytime temperatures in the pre-monsoon can reach the high nineties. 

Golfing in Nepal [Sunday Express, 26 Sep 2010]

Shoot for a birdie at one of the highest golf holes in the world. Ampersand Travel offers a four-night golfing break in Nepal, in the heart of the Himalayas. Teeing off from 14, 500ft, with Mouth Everest as your backdrop, you’ll play two unique holes before transferring to the stunning Gorkana Forest Resort course near Kathmandu to complete your round. Enjoy a four-night Himalayan Experience from $4,995pp (two sharing), full board. Price includes return flights from Heathrow to Kathmandu via Delhi, four nights accommodation, helicopter flight and transfers.

From safaris to shopping, your invite into a woman's world of travel – Shopping in Sri Lanka [The Observer, 25 Jan 2009]

Anjuli Flamer-Caldera, a recent graduate of the LSE, fl it’s between London, New York and Sri Lanka. When she's in Colombo, she can provide an exhaustive trip to Sri Lanka's finest boutiques, jewellers, furnishing and antique shops (her mother is one of Sri Lanka's best interior designers) as well as tips on restaurants and nightclubs. Tours are available to travellers on a holiday with Ampersand Travel, which offers a range of itineraries to Sri Lanka. Eight-night holidays cost from £1,920, including flights, accommodation, plus car and driver. • 020 7289 6100, ampersandtravel.co.uk

The New India: Outfitters You Need To Know
 [Departures, Oct 2008]

From its main office in London, Ampersand Travel designs bespoke tours, combining off-the-beaten-path activities with luxury experiences and accommodations. They’re especially good on India’s south.

Design awards 2007 – Best Travel Agent: Ampersand Travel [Wallpaper*, Oct 2007]

The dashing James Grace-Jayasundera is the advisor of choice for discerning travellers keen to explore the Indian subcontinent. Born to diplomatic parents in Sri Lanka, he grew up Rome, rubbing shoulders with the great and the good. Annual family pilgrimages to India and Sri Lanka gave him an insight into the needs of high end traveller, and running a safari camp in Namibia taught him how to manage a hotel. Since founding Ampersand Travel in 2003, his little black book has expanded to include Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives, and his client list has grown to boast big shots around the world.

India Sixty Years after Independence [British Airways High Life, April 2007]

James Jayasundera of Ampersand Travel predicts that “rural tourism will be the next huge thing, especially where there is some kind of local character, such as handicrafts, heritage weaving or pottery. Villages within travelling distance of the bigger tourist destinations – Agra, Delhi, Rajasthan – in particular.

LuxuryCulture.com [Dec 2006]

James Jayasundera, who operates the London based Ampersand Travel, likes “to believe that luxury is in the experience” rather than in how much one spends on a holiday or the thread count of one’s sheet. Luxury travel means minimising stress and discomfort while maximising enjoyment and the use if one’s time and resources. Luxury travellers value their time, money and opportunities, spending freely whichever one is in greatest abundance to them.

Carriages at Dawn: On the world’s best party organisers [The Financial Times’ How to Spend It, Nov 2004]

Local knowledge is key. If you want a shindig in Sri Lanka, turn to James Jayasundera, who runs Ampersand Travel. Through his intricate family connections, he is able to lay on anything from private houses for 200 guests to a welcome of 140 elephants. ‘If you know who to call, having a party abroad does not have to be a giant hurdle,’ says Jayasundera.